William Lawrence Butler Jr.

William “Bill” Lawrence Butler Jr. passed away on Monday, August 24, 2026, leaving behind a lifetime of laughter, generosity, good food, and memories that will be carried on by the many people who loved him.

Bill grew up in Plant City, Florida, graduating as a Raider in 1981. He then spent 40 years working in the pest control industry before later working as a bartender and locker room manager at Lone Palm Country Club. But Bill was never defined by what he did for a living. He was defined by the way he treated people. He never knew a stranger, could make just about anyone laugh, and was the true definition of a “shirt off his back” kind of man. He had a way of making people feel welcome, and friends had a tendency to become family in his presence.

If Bill loved you, there was a good chance he showed it by feeding you. He loved to cook and was a fixture at the Elks Lodge as well as the Rotary Club, where he could always be counted on to make sure everyone was well fed. At Christmas, his homemade sugar cookies became a tradition of their own, made year after year for the people he cared about.

Bill was a proud Florida Gators fan, an avid golfer, and, in his later years, a self-made tequila connoisseur. On any given day, there was a good chance you could find him on the golf course, talking to someone he had just met as though they had been friends for years—and probably telling a story that had everyone laughing.

More than anything, Bill was a son, a brother, a father, a grandfather, and a friend to all. He is survived by his sister, Christine Cowart; his children, Jessica Hudson and William “Trey” Butler III; and his grandson, August Hudson, who had the privilege of knowing him as Grandpa.

Bill was preceded in death by his father, William “Bill” Butler Sr.; his mother, Beverly Butler; and his brother, Doug Butler.

There are people whose lives are best measured not by years or accomplishments, but by the number of people who have a story about them. Bill was one of those people. His legacy lives in family traditions, Christmas sugar cookies, rounds of golf, Gator games, good tequila, full plates, loud laughter, and the countless people who were lucky enough to call him family or friend.

He will be deeply missed, endlessly remembered, and whenever those who loved him gather around good food with a good story to tell, a little bit of Bill will still be there.